1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of bowling and particularly to a device by which the ball may be propelled to cause it to roll along a bowling lane toward an array of pins.
2. The Prior Art
In propelling a bowling ball along a lane, it is normal for the bowler to start by holding the ball in front and fairly high while beginning to take a series of steps along an approach section toward the head section of the lane. Simultaneously with that foot movement, the bowler swings the ball down and back in an arc while straightening the arm, and then swings the ball forward, finally letting it go at a low point just before the bowler's forward foot reaches the foul line that marks the end of the approach section and the beginning of the head section of the lane so that the ball can roll along the lane toward the pins. This combination of movements requires some dexterity and an amount of strength that depends on the weight of the ball. In tenpins, which is the most popular form of bowling, the ball may weigh up to 16 pounds and may have a circumference as great as 27", making it necessary to form at least two, and usually three, spaced holes in the ball to receive the bowler's thumb and at least one finger to grasp the ball firmly enough to pick it up and swing it.
While the holes make it possible for a bowler to lift the ball with one hand and to swing it in order to give it the desired momentum along a precise path toward the pins, it is desirable that the propelling force applied to the ball not include an upward component, referred to as lofting the ball, that would cause the ball to land with a crash on the head section, since the impact of the heavy ball might do some damage to the surface of that section. The head section normally receives more damage than other parts of a lane for this very reason.
The movements normally executed by a bowler are not required by the rules of the game. All that is required is that only the ball touch the lane beyond the foul line and proceed along the lane toward the pins. The score is calculated according to the number of pins knocked over and the number of throws required to do so. While the number of pins knocked over by one throw of the ball may be greater if the ball is thrown hard, causing each pin that is directly hit to fly away from the impact and knock over several others, it is possible to knock over just as many pins by rolling the ball less energetically and depending on the accuracy of the throw to strike some of the pins at the correct angle to cause them to strike others in directions that would cause all of them to fall down. The present invention makes use of that fact.
People whose physical ability to impart great momentum to the ball, or even to lift it, has been adversely affected due to injury or any other reason may still be intensely interested in bowling, and several devices have been conceived to allow them to do so.
One such device is the ball projector of Gorsuch shown in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,570, but that device has a rod bent into a U-shape that is closed at the front and fits over the ball and is intended to hold the ball in several different positions. In order to be able to hold the ball in those positions, the rod has side rods spaced apart by a distance less than the diameter of the ball. When the device is in a position to project the ball, the side rods rest on the ball above its horizontal central plane, i.e., the plane that passes through the center of the ball and is parallel to the flat surface of the lane, thereby creating a frictional drag that impedes rotation of the ball and may give it a sideways impetus.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,263,602, Whittle shows a complex device for imparting rotational motion to the ball by means of a number of wheels mounted on a member that supports the ball above the floor and, therefore, must drop the ball on the surface of the bowling lane as the ball is released to proceed toward the pins.
The U.S. Pat. No. Des. 275,982 of Heijligers shows a bowling ball pusher that has a U-shaped frame formed of curved pipes and junctions supported on short legs that are located at the free ends of the U. These legs and have swiveling rollers at their own lower ends. There is no suggestion of the closeness of fit of the ball in the U-shaped portion, nor is there any suggestion of low-friction surfaces to allow the ball freedom to build up unhindered rolling motion as it is pushed forward. In addition, the short front legs apparently would cause the device to make contact with the ball below the central plane parallel to the floor, and the swivel mounting of the wheels would allow them to move sideways as well as forward when the device was being pushed.
Swanson shows another U-shaped projector in U.S. Pat. No. 3,145,840. The juxtaposed sides of Swanson's projector not only rest on the surface of the approach section but also hold the ball above that surface. In the embodiment in his FIGS. 1 and 2, the ball is significantly wider than the space between the sides so the sides contact the ball below its central plane parallel to the floor. The ball is not well-controlled the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2, but at least the ball would not be wedged between the sides as it would be in the embodiment in his FIGS. 3 and 4. In both embodiments, the fact that the entire lower surfaces of the sides of the U-shaped projector slide along the surface of the lane prevents the handle from being tilted up or down according to the wishes of the bowler.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,693 of Inegro shows a ball-handling implement that has a band that encircles the ball and must be lifted by operation of a triggering mechanism when the ball is to be released to roll down the lane. This adds an unnecessary complexity to the implement.
Other U.S. Patents relevant to the propulsion of a ball or a puck are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,567,313 to Bailey; 3,033,567 to Raab; 3,206,202 to Evans; and 3,215,436 to Carter.